4 Arunachal Govt Employees Held with Leopard Skin, Bones

Four employees of the Arunachal Pradesh government have been arrested in Assam and recovered a leopard skin and bones from their possession, forest department officials said on Wednesday. Forest officials said the accused, posted with Arunachal Pradesh health department, were arrested from the Dafalagarh tea garden in Biswanath district on Tuesday evening.

They have been identified as Tana Butra (24), Telineeku Camder (32), Techi Papu (26) and Techi Atung (35). All of them were arrested during an operation by Kaziranga National Park officials and Assam police.

A forest official said that the accused had contacted a buyer and had planned to sell the skin of leopard and bones weighing five kilos for Rs 3 lakh, adding that two motorbikes they were using was also seized.

The leopard was reportedly killed somewhere between the Arunachal and Assam border, but the arrested have not provided the exact location. The arrested have reportedly said that they bought the animal carcass from someone else and did not kill it themselves.